We all know about the “stinking rose.” But have you ever heard of black garlic? There is such a thing, and it’s being heralded by some as having twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic.

Black garlic is aged for a month in what’s described as a special fermentation process under high heat, so it comes out darker in color and sweeter in taste.

It’s a relatively new ingredient that chefs are raving about, and raw garlic “haters” are loving!

Personally I’ll take the old standard any day. To me there is nothing like the “real” thing, pungent odor and all. Garlic in general has lots of antioxidants, and is purported to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

That aside, let us not forget what it does to enhance so many of the foods we eat. I mean really…Can you imagine shrimp scampi without garlic? Pesto sauce without garlic? Pasta sauce sans the garlic? Garlic bread without garlic? Well I can’t either.

Afraid of bad breath? Not anything a curiously strong mint couldn’t take care of.

Buona Salute!

Janet

www.janetzappala.com

Summertime is in full swing and the snacking is easy. This is the season to grab all of the fresh fruits and vegetables you can. Berries for example are brimming over in your local supermarket. Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, not only are they delicious, they’re also chock full of antioxidants that fend off free radicals to keep our cells healthy, and they’re an excellent source of dietary fiber so they don’t spike your blood sugar and cause a lull in energy. Eating berries will keep your energy up all day, so you can enjoy all of the fun activities that summer has to offer. Keep them refrigerated so they’re nice and cold on a hot summer day, they’ll also last a bit longer than if you leave them out. The same goes for vegetables, what’s more refreshing than chilled cucumber, carrot, celery and bell pepper slices? Want to dip? Check out my spinach dip and/or my hummus recipe at www.janetzappala.com.

Snacking is a great way to avoid overeating as well. By keeping nutritious snacks handy you can snack throughout the day and stay satisfied and energized. The key, is knowing which snacks provide the most nutrients, and one of your best bets is whole grains. Whole grain crackers and chips are just sitting on your supermarket shelve, “ripe” for the pickings. Vegetable chips are another tasty option. A personal favorite is Terra’s, Sweets and Beets, chips made from sweet potatoes and beets, what could be more satisfying? You’re still getting a crunchy treat, but one that’s made from ingredients that will do your body good. Worry-free eating, that’s what it’s all about. One of life’s greatest pleasures is eating, why should we give up the things we love? We don’t, we just have to find healthier options, a much easier task these days as manufacturers are tuning into the consumer’s demand for healthier options.

If you and your kids are sandwich lovers, go for whole grain bread, a couple slices of fresh roasted turkey (not processed), lettuce and tomato, and top if off with a slice or two of Jarlsberg Lite cheese. It’s my favorite for its great taste, and the fact that it’s lower in fat and calories. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top, and you have a mouthwatering and nutritious lunchtime treat that will pack the punch you and your family need to keep you going throughout your day.

Finally, a little more food for thought, seeds! Don’t forget to have plenty on hand, everything from sunflower seeds, to sesame seeds, to pumpkin seeds, to flaxseeds. All will provide you with countless nutrients and energy, not to mention a good amount of fiber in every delectable bite. Grab a handful during the day and you’ll be providing your body with everything from protein and iron, to potassium, and magnesium. Flaxseed alone provides heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Go nuts for nuts too! Heart-healthy almonds and omega 3 rich walnuts are especially good for you.

All this said opt for the raw, unsalted variety if you can. If that’s too big a step at first then try to stay away from salted nuts. As you go along your palate will slowly change and you’ll be able to enjoy raw unsalted seeds and nuts the way mother nature intended.

Enjoy the summer and all of the great foods and fun it has to offer!

Janet

The importance of antioxidants in our diets should be an understood given. That’s because antioxidants are the body’s major defense against free radicals which can wreak havoc with our cells. Antioxidants fight free radicals by neutralizing them.

The four major antioxidants are vitamins A, C, E and selenium. For one, vitamin A helps keep our immune systems strong, able to fight off infections more readily. It protects our bodies from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and aids in new cell growth to slow down the aging process. Vitamin A of course also helps keep our skin and eyes healthy.

Eating foods like carrots, squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and collard greens will help you get this important vitamin into your diet. Supplementing is also an option, just make sure you check with a doctor on the proper amount, because vitamin A can build up to toxic levels in the liver.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid is essential to optimum health. It enhances immune function, and fights things like pollution and toxins that can damage cells and cause mutations. It is also recommended that you take Vitamin C if you eat cured meats, for example things like bacon, as it inhibits the formation of nitrosamines which can be highly carcinogenic. Citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C.

Vitamin E helps to prevent aging, cell damage, even cancer. It is also believed to reduce the risk of heart disease. The wonder vitamin also protects the cell membranes and protects our skin from ultraviolet light.

Excellent sources of vitamin E are spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, swiss chard and mustard greens. A typical supplement of vitamin E daily would be about 400 I.U.

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is found in all tissues of the body. It’s a powerful antioxidant and cancer fighter, and for women especially,  it enables the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone.

Selenium also works together with vitamin E as it enhances the effects of selenium, and selenium helps with the assimilation of vitamin E. If you experience muscle pain or weakness it could be a sign of low selenium levels. To help increase levels, eat more brazil nuts, button and shitake mushrooms, tuna, halibut, salmon, snapper and shrimp.

If using a selenium supplement watch your dosage because too much can be toxic. Look for the natural form of selenium at your local health food market, and remember it’s best taken with vitamin E as an essential and effective antioxidant tool.

As with all of these, checking with your doctor about supplements is the best advice I can give you. Ideally, diet is all-important for helping to nourish your body with these super vitamins everyday.

Buona Salute! To Your Health~

Janet at www.janetzappala.com and www.janetzappala.tv

I’ve been spending time with my Rosetta Stone lately, and it’s been fantastico! Trying to get back to my Italian roots… and as I try to train my brain to remember the words, I find that it gets easier as time goes on. Our brains, much like our bodies, need exercise, stimulation so they don’t, in essence, shrivel up.

Here’s some good news, studies show that speaking two languages may help delay the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. In Canada, scientists there studied over 4-hundred patients, all with similar degrees of Alzheimer’s. Half of the patients who were bi-lingual, were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four to five years later than the patients who only spoke one language. The bi-lingual group spoke a second language for many years. The Canadian researchers also pointed out that learning a second language later in life may also offer benefits by exercising the brain’s “executive control” ability. So while working our brains won’t necessarily prevent this disease, it may help delay the onset of the disease’s debilitating effects.

Learn another language, play Scrabble, do crossword puzzles, play cards, memorize lines…these types of exercises will keep the brain nimble and hopefully keep Alzheimer’s at bay.

Taking care of our bodies and our minds should be a top priority everyday of our lives. Gaining mental energy can also be had by making sure you get enough omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish, and nuts for example. In fact, researchers have found some evidence that eating fish like salmon, herring and mackerel might help delay or prevent cognitive decline in seniors. One thing experts seem to agree on for certain is that a cup of coffee or tea does improve mental energy.

Again, we may not have a guarantee that we’ll never develop Alzheimer’s disease, but eating right and exercising both our brains and our bodies will give us a fighting chance.

Buona Salute! To Your Health~

Janet

www.janetzappala.tv

I love french fries, I mean really, who doesn’t? They’re probably one of the most delicious treats on the planet, but unfortunately they’re also one of the worst treats when it comes to our health. You’ll likely want to opt for baked “fries” when you think about what happens when potatoes are fried in extremely high temperatures.

A chemical called acrylamide forms, (and the same happens with potato chips) which can be carcinogenic, and especially damaging to pre-menopausal women. In fact, studies show that eating things like french fries may increase the risk for breast cancer, in particular. While studies show there may be a risk, there is no proven link between cancer and eating French fries and/or potato chips, but to me it’s wise to watch it.

Perhaps more importantly, it’s about overall diet. Ideally we should enjoy a diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, grains, and legumes, and that is devoid of processed foods, and sugary sodas. Even diet sodas may be harmful as they are laden with sweeteners made from chemicals.

Also very important according to doctors, is maintaining a healthy weight, which will reduce the risk of storing cancer-causing agents like acrylamide. If you’ve had the pleasure of eating baked “fries,” you know what a tasty option they are, if not, please give the baked variety a chance.

You can cut some russet potatoes a bit thicker and coat them with a little extra-virgin olive oil, some rosemary, a little salt and pepper and bake them until golden at 350 degrees, usually between 30-35 minutes. You can do the same with sweet potatoes, but use a little cracked black pepper instead of the rosemary. I normally boil my sweet potatoes first for about 15 minutes. They are a lot easier to peel that way. The recipe is in my book, My Italian Kitchen on amazon.com.

There is no reason to give up the foods you love, just find healthier ways to make them. This way of thinking has become my mantra, it could well become yours too, if it isn’t already.

Buona Salute! To Your Health~

Janet

www.janetzappala.com

How sweet it is. I’m speaking of the dietary supplement known as bitter melon extract. I just stumbled upon it in an article I was reading, and had honestly never heard about it before. It sparked my interest for two reasons, some scientists credit bitter melon extract with being a viable treatment for type 2 diabetes. Why? Because it has certain compounds in it to control blood sugar, and there don’t appear to be any side effects. In fact, according to some doctors, those working in Chinese medicine have been using bitter melon extract for hundreds of years with good results.

If that isn’t great news, there is also scientific evidence that this same extract decreased breast cancer cell growth. This finding was published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.  It seems in studies, the extract slowed the proliferation of cancer cells, and even induced death in breast cancer cells. Of course, studies continue, but the news is encouraging considering breast cancer is a major killer of women across the globe.

If nothing else, this is something to bring up to your doctor, a holistic approach and a much less toxic form of treatment. The more knowledge we have, the more powerful we become in guarding ourselves against disease. Should we find ourselves with disease, the knowledge we have will help give us a fighting chance to beat it.

Buona Salute! To Your Health~

Janet Zappala

www.janetzappala.com

www.janetzappala.com

We know how healthy almonds are, they’re heart-healthy and an excellent source of vitamin E, protein and dietary fiber. A handful a day will help keep the doctor away. Another great way to get a good intake of almonds is by drinking them, in liquid form of course, (much easier to swallow).

Almond milk is lactose free, vegan, non-dairy and absolutely as delicious as it gets. If you can’t tolerate milk, this is a terrific option, even if you’re not, it’s so delicious that it’s a natural choice.

There are different brands of almond milk, and some is sweetened, others are not. I have found the best to be Whole Foods Brand 365, not only does it trump its competition in taste, it’s also 70 cents cheaper than brands like Almond Breeze and Almond Dream.  I pay $1.99 for a half gallon of the 365 brand, vs. $2.69 for the others I mentioned.

My absolute favorite is the unsweetened version made with organic almonds grown in the US, no added syrups, just the wholesome goodness of clean almonds, and of course with almond milk there is no saturated fat. What you will get is payloads of vitamins A, D & E, as well as calcium, and iron.

I had it in a smoothie today, I also make a frothy version with my cappucino machine, and sprinkle it with cinnamon(an excellent antioxidant). For a cool treat, try it over ice. 

We are all looking for ways to keep healthy and vital (a healthy body is a happy body), this is one easy way to ensure good health, and great taste!

Buona Salute! To Your Health~ Please visit www.janetzappala.tv for weekly webisodes on health, lifestyle, and fitness.

I have a great reason for you to watch www.janetzappala.tv and learn how to make my butternut squash and potato soup. It may actually help you live longer.

Like carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin, squash has payloads of alpha carotene, which is a pigment and antioxidant that supports good health, and is also the cousin to the more widely known, beta carotene. That said, some scientists believe that alpha carotene may be even more powerful than beta carotene in protecting cells from tumors.

A recent Centers for Disease Control study showed that people with high blood levels of alpha carotene, were about a third less likely to die from a myriad of diseases, including cancer and heart disease, than those with low levels.

Alpha carotene can also be found in green vegetables, including spinach, collard greens, peas, and green beans.  Fruits too have good amounts of both alpha and beta carotene. The fact is, most fruits and vegetables contain good levels of antioxidants, (vitamins C&E, selenium, and carotene) which help in preventing serious diseases.

So don’t overlook the produce section at your supermarket, (and go for organic when you can). Nature has provided fruits and vegetables for a reason, but they can only help us if we choose them, and consume them regularly.

Buona Salute! To Your Health

Janet Zappala

 http://twitter.com/JanetZappala

www.janetzappala.com

Don’t forget to visit www.janetzappala.tv beginning Monday, March 21st for my new Wealth of Health Webisodes, and every following Monday watch for a new Wealth of Health webisode.

I would love to hear from you so please email me with your comments and/or questions.

To your health!

Janet

If we’re talking  great taste and versatility, we all know that mushrooms fit the bill. However, when it comes to the nutrition power of mushrooms most people may not be as aware. The fact is, mushrooms pack a powerful punch in the good-for-you department, including potassium, folate, niacin, copper, and dietary fiber. Selenium is also an important nutrient found in mushrooms, and is credited with fending off prostate cancer. The potassium in mushrooms helps regulate blood pressure, and also helps cells to function properly. Shitake mushrooms are also a good source of vitamin D. No wonder they call it the “mighty” mushroom!

Mushrooms stay fresh for a few days in the refrigerator. You don’t want to peel, soak, overcook, or store mushrooms in a warm place. You don’t want to soak them, because like a sponge, they absorb liquid and will be mushy when cooked. The key is to use a damp paper towel to gently wipe them clean. By the way, you can freeze mushrooms, just slice them, drop them into boiling water for one to two minutes, drain, and seal them in an air-tight container or bag, then freeze until you’re ready to use them. You can also pop them right into a pan from the freezer and cook.

Virtually fat-free, mushrooms are great for making so many dishes. I love to sauté them with some onions and put them over my turkey burgers. They’re also terrific in a sauce over veal chops, and delectable for chicken marsala.

Cook with these gems, and your ideas for delicious recipes will mushroom.

Note: In some cases, mushrooms are grown in manure, so make sure you clean them well.

www.janetzappala.com

Janet Zappala/Certified Nutritional Consultant/Author/Award-Winning Television Host